2009 Retrospective

I was recently asked to list some of my recent adventures. Forming this list made me realize how great a year 2009 has been for me. As my health has improved, my life has accelerated. I do more in less time. I live more densely. Two years ago, I couldn't have done many these things. I wasn't physically or mentally capable. Most of my college friends wouldn't recognize me now. Alice tells me it's The Saturn Return.

I travelled.

• Drank a two-foot margarita in Las Vegas.
• Drove a lover to Portland by UHaul, and said goodbye.
• Talked to an aspiring artist at 2am on the Starlight Express.
• Spent 30 consecutive days away from home.
• Ate at a pig roast in Upstate New York. Attended my 10-year high school reunion.
• Had my first straight-razor shave and shoe-shine in New York City.
• Drank beer on a Pittsburgh roof during the G20 summit. Watched the helicopters swarm.
• Learned how to read a subway map in Cambridge, MA.
• Spoke broken French in St. Martin. Vous avez des oeufs?
• Swam naked in the Caribbean with a lover.

And saw beautiful things.

• Watched the Santa Cruz Mountains burn.
• Watched the Sooty Shearwater migration from a sunset cruise.
• Sailed under the golden gate bridge.

And visited important American landmarks.

• the world's largest thermometer
• Alien Fresh Jerky
• The Santa Cruz Mystery Spot
• Randy's Donuts
• The Giant Artichoke

I went to shows.

• Phish
• Infected Mushroom
• Nine Inch Nails

And events.

• The Maker Faire
• The Crucible Fire Arts Festival
• The San Mateo County Fair
• Burning Man Decompression

I embraced my inner hippie.

• Hot-tubbed with middle-aged hippies at two nudist retreats.
• Spent a night at a commune in Santa Cruz.
• Partied at an intentional community in Sunnyvale.
• Slept on a cot at the "spirit house" on a mountain in Woodacre. Snuggled by the fire in a yurt.
• Slept in my car at Clear Lake.
• Bought most of my clothes from thrift-stores.

And my inner yuppie.

• Got promoted.
• Had Dinner at Ad Hoc, Millenium, the Melting Pot, and La Fondue.
• Had backstage passes to Wicked at the Orpheum. Touched the props.
• Had VIP tickets to my first Cirque du Soleil show. Felt like a rockstar.
• Had VIP tickets to the Defying Inequality benefit. Gave $1100 to repeal prop 8.

And I celebrated those contradictions.

• Drank Veuve Clicquot with Babybel.
• Drank sparkling wine with trail mix.
• Drank good wine in plastic cups.
• Drank Charles Shaw in glass stemware.
• Wore my blazer with jeans. And looked good.

I drove.

• 24,000 miles.
• Upgraded tires and brakes.
• Did horribly at my first autocross at the Marina airport.
• Practiced on go-karts.
• Did respectably at my first track day at Thunderhill.
• Broke my second windshield at Big Sur.

I took up photography.

• Bought a camera.
• Learned how to use it.
• Bought a flash and gels.
• Learned how to use them.
• Dated a photographer.
• Shot a wedding.

And I enjoyed watersports.

• Windsurfed.
• Kayaked.
• Jet-skiied.
• Parasailed.
• Snorkeled.
• Got peed on.

I improved my health.

• Found good meds for my head.
• Found good meds for my gut.
• Exercised.
• Dieted.
• Lost 30 pounds.

I had many firsts.

• Lit road flares.
• Ate fondue.
• Stopped to pick up roadkill.
• Shot a gun.
• Got kicked off the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.
• Got kicked out of a parking lot for doing donuts.

And I fell in and out of love.

• Repaired the most important friendship in my life.
• Drove a lover to Portland by UHaul, and said goodbye.
• Lost myself in new love for 6 months. Forgot the world. Broke up without tears.
• Lost myself in new love for 6 weeks. Broke my heart. Full-bodied weeping.
• Reconnected with an old flame.

archaeologist ascension

fuzzynerd, neutral male human Archeologist




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     |...@.@A)O`..Ja            |.............|           %-%....%..._...|
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Fuzzynerd the Speleologist St:25 Dx:18 Co:18 In:22 Wi:22 Ch:14 Neutral S:1980685
Astral Plane $:0  HP:260(283) Pw:79(157) AC:-38 Xp:22/20107594 T:80678

Final attributes
  You were the Envoy of Balance
  You were piously aligned
  Your alignment was  413
  You were fire resistant
  You were cold resistant
  You were sleep resistant
  You were shock resistant
  You were poison resistant
  You were magic-protected
  You saw invisible
  You were telepathic
  You had automatic searching
  You were invisible to others
  You were stealthy
  You caused conflict
  You had slower digestion
  You were protected
  You were very fast
  You had reflection
  You were wielding two weapons at once
  You were extremely lucky (13)
  You had extra luck
  Bad luck did not time out for you
  Good luck did not time out for you
  You survived after being killed  once
  3437 creatures vanquished.

Genocided or extinct species:
  hobbits
  dwarves
  bugbears
  dwarf lords
  dwarf kings
  mind flayers
  master mind flayers
  liches
  demiliches
  master liches
  arch-liches
  erinyes (extinct)
  11 species genocided.
 1 species extinct.

Voluntary challenges
  You genocided 11 types of monsters
  You never polymorphed an object
  You changed form 1 time
  You used 8 wishes

Latest messages
  The high priestess of Camaxtli points at you, then curses.
  There is an altar to Camaxtli (neutral) here.
  What do you want to sacrifice? [u or ?*] 
  You offer the Amulet of Yendor to Camaxtli...
  An invisible choir sings, and you are bathed in radiance...
  The voice of Camaxtli rings out: "Congratulations, mortal!"
  "In return for thy service, I grant thee the gift of Immortality!"
  You ascend to the status of Demigod...

Goodbye fuzzynerd the Demigod...
You went to your reward with 4160470 points,
The Orb of Detection (worth 2500 zorkmids and 6250 points)
Magicbane (worth 3500 zorkmids and 8750 points)
      12 citrine stones (worth 18000 zorkmids),
      11 amber stones (worth 11000 zorkmids),
      11 amethyst stones (worth 6600 zorkmids),
      10 emeralds (worth 25000 zorkmids),
       8 rubies (worth 28000 zorkmids),
       8 opals (worth 6400 zorkmids),
       7 chrysoberyl stones (worth 4900 zorkmids),
       7 jasper stones (worth 3500 zorkmids),
       6 jacinth stones (worth 19500 zorkmids),
       5 sapphires (worth 15000 zorkmids),
       5 obsidian stones (worth 1000 zorkmids),
       5 jade stones (worth 1500 zorkmids),
       4 diamonds (worth 16000 zorkmids),
       4 black opals (worth 10000 zorkmids),
       3 agate stones (worth 600 zorkmids),
       2 dilithium crystals (worth 9000 zorkmids),
       2 aquamarine stones (worth 3000 zorkmids),
       2 garnet stones (worth 1400 zorkmids),
       1 turquoise stone (worth 2000 zorkmids),
       1 jet stone (worth 850 zorkmids),
       1 fluorite stone (worth 400 zorkmids),
       1 amulet of change (worth 150 zorkmids),
       1 amulet of unchanging (worth 150 zorkmids),
       1 amulet of reflection (worth 150 zorkmids),
and 0 pieces of gold, after 80678 moves.
Killer: ascended
You were level 22 with a maximum of 283 hit points when you ascended.

       4160470  fuzzynerd-Arc-Hum-Mal-Neu ascended to demigod-hood.   260 [283]

Wicked

Backstage passes to Wicked at the Orpheum. The show was great, and the behind-the-scenes magic was astounding.

Insalata Caprese

One of my favorites. And with my new metabolism, this is a meal. This one was from Il Fornaio in San Jose.